Perched between the northern Malabar Coast and the river banks of Eranjoli and Dharmadam, Thalassery has a history as a thriving commercial town.
It was affectionately nicknamed “the Paris of Malabar” by visiting Europeans in the late 19th century, when it was used as a French military base. Today, Thalassery is Kerala’s first and only “heritage town”, recognised for its rich and complex history and diverse cultural influences.
It is also known as the city of “circus, cake, and cricket”. Indians first began to play cricket in Thalassery, a pastime that quickly became a national treasure. The city also developed a reputation for fine circus performers; in fact, India’s most highly-respected circus academy began in Thalassery, and the city’s finest performers and coaches are sought-after. The association with cake comes from India’s first Christmas cake, baked by Mambally Bapu to accommodate British tastes more than 130 years ago.
